Debris separator for coal washing apparatus



May 5, 942. H. CAPPELLANTI 2,231,327

DEBRIS SEPARATOR FUR COAL WASHING APPARATUS Filed July 8. 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l Harry dappezlan t1) INVENTOR.

BY W mor a,

May 1942- H. CAPPELLANTI 2,281,827

DEBRIS S EPARATOR FOR COAL WASHING APPARATUS Filed July 8, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Harry dappel 2602 ix) INVENTOR.

y 1942- H. CAPPELLANTI 2,281,827

DEBBIS SEPARATOR FDR GOAL WASHING APPARATUS Filed July 8, .1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 7 a 1% 21 91 gf ze 0 22 I \I 30 1 I T +2 j k 24 zyvsmom 1 BY @a DEER-IS SEPARATOR FOR COAL WASHING APPARATUS Harry Cappellanti, Morgantown, of one-third to Frank Ellis W. Va., assignor Christopher and one-third to Philip Sheridan Davis, both of Morgantown, W. Va.

Application July 8, 1941, Serial No. 401,514

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a debris separator for coal washing apparatus.

In coal washing apparatus of the type for example illustrated in Patent No. 2,132,750, issued October 11, 1938, the mass of coal mixed with foreign matter is formed in a bed on a screen in a respective compartment of a water tank, where it is subjected to jigging, that is, the periodic pulsations of water passing upwardly and downwardly through the screen. This action affects stratification of the bed according to specific gravity.

The highest gravity refuse is separated from the mass in one compartment and discharged into the boot thereof while the coal and intermediate refuse, such as bony coal and small particles of shale will pass over a weir into the next succeeding compartment and is again subjected to jigging action. This operation may be continued through any number of compartments. In the final compartment the refuse again forms in the lower strata on the screen and clean coal passes to the discharge chute, the refuse being withdrawn into the boot of this compartment. However, some extraneous matter such as wood, lumber, bark, chips can usually pass into the discharge chute along with the clean coal.

With the above in mind, an object of the present invention is to provide a reticulate basket in the final compartment of the tank, subjected to jigging action, and adapted to collect debris such as wood chunks, limbs, bark and other extraneous light material from the surface of the waves of water induced in the final compartment, so that this debris will be compactly segregated and cannot become mixed with the clean coal.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a debris separator for coal washing apparatus, constructed in accordance with the invention, only the side walls of the final compartment of the tank, along with some other conventional parts in the tank being shown.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the debris separator.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the debris separator showing the pivoted bar for deflecting the various sizes of coal underneath the separator basket.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the basket showing the same in two positions controlled by the wave action or pulsations of the water in the compartment.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view showing the pivoted bar or gage, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, It designates a side wall of the final compartment of the water tank, H the weir over which clean coal passes to the discharge chute l2, iii the adjustable bottom plate which controls an opening 15 through which refuse passes on to the discharge chute I6 of the compartment boot I1, and I8 designates the screen or plate which provides a support for the mass undergoing a jigging operation, these parts being conventional coal washing machine parts.

In carrying out the invention a reticulate basket 20 is provided to collect debris from the mass before the clean coal passes over the weir II and the basket is mounted to extend the entire width of the compartment in front of, and above the weir. The basket comprises a plurality of spaced bars 2| having their rear ends upturned as shown in Figures 2 and 4 and connected at the upper ends by a top bar 22. The front ends of the bars 2| are connected by bottom bar 23. The basket is thus in the form of a skeleton trough 0r scoop which is open at the ends at the front side.

The basket is suspended from the side walls In of the final compartment and for this purpose an axle or shaft 24 is secured to the bars 2| and projects at both ends beyond the end bars of the series of bars 2|. A pair of hanger bolts 25 are provided at the lower ends with eyes 26 which pivotally receive the projecting ends of the shaft 24. The upper end of each hanger bolt is threaded and is engaged through an opening in a respective supporting plate 21 which is secured to an angular bar 28 which supports the motion link mechanism 29 of the jig, not shown. The angular bar 28 is secured in any preferred manner to an angular bar 30, see Figure 3, which is secured to the outer surface of.the upper end; pi

the respective side wall ID (if the tank. 1A pa of adjusting nuts 3| are threaded on to the threaded portion of each hanger bolt 25 and engage the top and bottom surface of the respective plate 21 to mount the basket for vertical adjustment in the compartment.

For subjecting the basket to jigging action, that is, the periodic pulsations, or waves of water, designated by the reversely curved broken lines 32, in Figure 4, a pair of pontoons or floats 33 are secured to the front bottom bar 23 of the basket near the ends of the basket, see Figure 1. For securing each float to the basket, preferably a pair of rods 34, see Figure 4, is fixed to the top wall of each float and the rods are provided with downturned rear ends 35 which are adjustably secured in guide tubes 36. carried by standards 31, by set screws 38. The standards are provided with rearwardly extending feet which are secured to the front bottom bar 23 of the basket.

As the floats rise the basket will be rocked in one direction on the pivot shaft 24 as an axis of rotation and as the floats fall the basket will be rocked in the opposite direction on the pivot shaft. This rocking movement of the basket causes the basket to pick up floating debris such as floating wood, rags, tin cans, and other mate rial heretofore mentioned and segregate the same in the basket for subsequent manual removal or other disposal.

For counterbalancing the weight of the floats a pair of rods 39 are secured to the shaft 24 and project rearwardly from the shaft. The rear ends of the rods are threaded to receive nuts 40 which project from counterweights 4| and permit the weights being adjusted longitudinally of the rods to balance the weight of the floats.

To permit chunks of material of various dimensions passing underneath the basket a gage plate 42 is provided with hinge eyes 43, see Figure 1, which receive the front bottom bar 23 of the basket. Set screws 44 are engaged through tloediinge eyes to secure the gage plate 42 in various adjusted angular positions relative to the basket, see Figure 5.

Since the operation has been described as the description of the parts progressed it is thought the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. A debris separator for coal washing machines comprising the combination with a tank in which water is pulsated to form waves, of a basket open at the front and at the ends extending transversely across the tank in position to intercept floating debris, vertically adjustable hangers on the sides of the tank, said hangers terminating at the lower ends in eyes, a shaft supporting the basket and loosely secured at the ends in the eyes to permit the basket to rock on a horizontal axis, spaced floats secured to. the basket in advance of the open front end of the basket responsive to waves of the water to rock the basket and efiect picking up of floating material by the basket and the segregation of such material in the basket, rods extending rearward- ].y from the basket, counterweights adjustably mounted on the rear ends of the rods for counterbalancing the weight of the floats, a flat gage plate extending longitudinally of the front lower end of the basket to permit various sizes of material being deflected underneath the basket, and means for holding the plate in adjusted vertical angular positions relatively to the basket.

2. The structure as of claim 1 and in which said means comprises eyes formed on the gage plate and set screws through the eyes and engaging the front lower portion of the basket.

3. The structure as of claim 1 and in which the basket is formed of rods connected at the front and rear ends by transversely disposed rods, the first named rods being bent upwardly near the rear ends to form a rear wall of the basket.

HARRY CAPPELLANTI. 

